Autumn Fern
A shield fern whose new fronds unfurl copper-orange before ripening to glossy green, so it looks like autumn all year. Tougher than most indoor ferns, tolerant of cooler rooms and ordinary humidity, and safe for pets.
Most ferns are green and stay green. The autumn fern unfurls each new frond in a coppery orange-pink, holds the colour for a few weeks, then matures to a deep glossy green, so a plant that is growing well always carries two colours at once. The fronds are triangular, leathery and neatly divided, in an arching clump about two feet across.
It is a garden fern in much of the world, which is why it makes a tough houseplant: it tolerates cool rooms, ordinary humidity and lower light than the fussy tropical ferns, and it does not shed the way a Boston fern can. Pet-safe, too.
Light
Medium, indirect light. A north window is ideal; an east window works with the morning sun filtered. It tolerates fairly low light, growing slower and greener. Direct sun scorches the fronds and dulls the copper.
Water
Keep the soil lightly moist, watering when the top inch is dry, every five days or so in summer and every eight in winter. It tolerates a brief dry spell better than most ferns, but repeated drying browns the frond tips. Drain well; it does not want to sit in water.
Soil and potting
A moisture-holding, humus-rich mix: potting soil with coco coir and a little perlite. Pot with drainage. Repot every two years in spring, one size up, and divide the crown if it has grown several centres.
Feeding
Half-strength balanced feed every six weeks in spring and summer. Ferns burn easily; keep it weak.
Propagation
Division in spring: split the crown into sections with roots and fronds and pot up. Spores on the frond undersides can be sown on damp compost under glass, but that is a slow project.
In a hot, dry home
One of the better ferns for a dry house. It manages at forty percent humidity, which a pebble tray or a bathroom provides, and it prefers the cooler interior rooms. Keep it out of the AC's path, water a little sooner in the hottest weeks, and it will hold up where a maidenhair would not.
Autumn Fern varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- Brilliance
A selected form with brighter, longer-lasting copper on the new fronds.
Problems and fixes
Brown, crispy frond tips
Likely cause: Dry air or dry soil
Fix: Raise humidity; water more consistently.
New fronds green, not copper
Likely cause: Low light, or the plant is cold
Fix: Brighter filtered light and a warmer spot bring the colour back.
Yellow fronds, soggy soil
Likely cause: Overwatering
Fix: Let the top inch dry; check drainage.
Old fronds browning at the base
Likely cause: Normal ageing
Fix: Cut them off at the base to keep it tidy.
Autumn Fern questions
Is the autumn fern safe for cats and dogs?
Yes. Non-toxic to pets.
Why are the new fronds orange?
That is the point of the plant. New growth emerges copper-orange and turns green over a few weeks.
Can it live in a cool room?
Yes. It is hardy outdoors in cold climates and is happy in a cool hallway or bedroom indoors.
Plants with a similar rhythm
Boston Fern
- Light
- Medium to bright indirect
- Water
- Every few days
- Pets
- Safe
